[...] This deployment is a routine yet significant demonstration of NATO’s capability to operate seamlessly and maintain stability in the Baltic Sea region.
During the mission, the bombers flew close to Russian territory in Kaliningrad, circling over Lithuania and traversing Dutch, German, and Polish airspace. [...] These sorties serve as a reminder of NATO’s resolve and readiness to respond to potential threats in the region.
Not just routine but planned and announced months prior. It's also routine to cancel such things, that the US didn't do that specifically around the time they announced Ukraine could use US weapons to hit targets in Russia is a rather big nod with the sabre.
They don't say what happened after that. Intercepted, aaand? Was it grounded, pilots arrested and interrogated? They probably just "escorted" them back to russia.
They should be brought down, arrested and interrogated, plane inspected, surveillance data taken, then demand explanations from russia.
If they don't comply when told to land - shoot them down. That's what Turkey did and they no longer have this issue. russia only understands brute force.
EDIT: Someone just pointed out they didn't breach the airspace this time.
Could be that in the old days before gps they didn't want to get into a spat about where the border was in open ocean, so they adopted the escort out idea which has continued since.
defence-blog.com
Heiß